Means for circulating mud in rotary well drilling rigs



Oct. 27, 1953 o. COLQUITT 2,657,015

MEANS FOR CIRCULATING MUD IN ROTARY WELL DRILLING mas Filed March 16. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l x w l, r m 4 x w. i V

ATTORNEY r v R 2 m4 V0 m6 W 0 a 3 v. 3 3 WM 3 Oct. 27, 1953 o, COLQUITT 2,657,015

MEANS FOR CIRCULATING MUD IN ROTARY WELL DRILLING RIGS Filed March 16, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN T OR. 00/5 60L 00/77 147' TOR/YE Oct. 27, 1953 o. COLQUITT MEANS FOR CIRCULATING MUD IN ROTARY WELL DRILLING RIGS Filed March 16. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 00/5 C04 00/77 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1953 MEANS FOR CIRCULATING MUD IN ROTARY WELL DRILLING RIGS Odie Colquitt, Denver, Colo., assignor to Patents,

Inc.,

Denver, 0010., a corporation of Colorado Application March 16, 1950, Serial No. 150,074

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a means for circulating the drilling mud in well drilling rigs of the rotary type. In the conventional rotary well drilling rig the drilling mud is forced down through the drill pipe and through the drill bit, thence rises upwardly in the well, carrying the rock chips and other bit debris to the surface. The drilling mud is fed into the upper extremity of the drill stem or kelly through a flexible hose, which follows the drill stem downwardly as each length of drill pipe is drilled in. This method of circulating the mud has been satisfactory in oil wells and other small-diameter wells. When drilling water wells, however, of relatively large diameter, say twenty-four to thirty-six inches in diameter, this method of circulating the mud is not satisfactory, since the large diameter of the well so reduces the velocity of the rising mud that it will not carry away drill bit debris, but allows it to settle to the bottom of the well.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a means for circulating the mud in largediameter wells in which the conventional flow will be reversed, that is, the mud will descend in the ,well proper and ascend through the drill pipe,

thereby increasing the velocity of the rising mud so that it will remove rock chips and other debris, and so that the decreasing velocity of the descending mud will allow solid matter to precipitate to the bottom of the well, from which it may 24 be drawn by the rapidly rising liquid column in the drill pipe.

In using the reverse circulation method, it was found necessary to use a much larger mud passage, due to low pressure (atmospheric) on the mud. This larger passage necessitated an extremely large-diameter, flexible hose for following the drilling kelly, and this large-diameter hose was difficult to handle in the drilling rig.

Another object of this invention is to provide a vertical, non-rising suction pipe about which the kelly may rotate, and along which the kelly may descend so. as to completely eliminate the necessity for a flexible mud hose. 7 A further object is to provide a rotary kelly of the sliding type in which all mud pipe connections can be quickly and easily swung to one side to allow the drill steel to be withdrawn without requiring any disconnecting or other alteration in the circulatingequipment.

Other objects and advantages reside in the de-.

tail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efllciency. These will become more apparent from the following description. a

' a platform l2.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. merals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front view of a typical well drilling derrick, with the invention applied thereto;

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged, horizontal sections, taken on the lines 2--2 and 33, respectively, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a still further enlarged, vertical, fragmentary section, taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 2.

The derrick structure illustrated on the drawing is simply indicative of any suitable supporting derrick. As illustrated, the derrick employs four vertical, suitably braced, tubular derrick legs Ill supporting conventional cable sheaves ll above The platform carries a rotary drilling table 13 of any of the conventional rotary types adapted to receive the usual drill pipe slips for supporting the drill pipe. As illustrated, the table is provided with split table bushings l4 forming a square driving hole in the table. The upper extremity of a conventional drill pipe is indicated at 15.

The improved rig employe a square drill stem or kelly l6 which could be formed in any desired manner. As illustrated, the kelly consists of a length of drill pipe with four angle members I! welded thereto along their longitudinal edges to form a square exterior thereon. The kelly I6'is secured to the upper extremity of the drill pipe I 5 by means of a flanged coupling I 8.

i The lrelly slides in the square driving hole in the table bushings so that it will be rotated by the table, and so that it is free to move upwardly and downwardly therethrough, as is usual in rotary well-drilling rig construction.

The upper extremity of the kelly is secured by means of aseoond suitable flanged coupling l9 to the lower extremity of a swivel sleeve 20. The swivel sleeve 29 is formed with a supporting flange 2! which rests on a suitable thrust ball bearing 22. The bearing 22 is mounted in an annular swivel ring 23 which is rotatablysuspended from the flange .2! by means of an overlapping retaining ring 24 which is held in place by means of retaining screws25.

Two sup-porting studs 26 extend oppositely outward from the swivel ring 23, and a sling link 21 is mounted on each stud 26 and-extends upwardly therefrom. The linksZ'l are suspended from cables 28 which extend to a connecting Like numember 29 by means of which they are suspended from a main drilling cable 30 extending over one of the sheaves II.

It can be seen from the above-described construction that the entire weight of the kelly 16 and its connected drill pipe l5 and the drill bit (not shown) are supported from the main cable 30.

The swivel ring 23 is prevented from rotating, and the kelly is accurately and vertically guided by means of oppositely extending bracket arms 3| which are welded thereto. Each of'the bracket arms carries a plunger sleeve 32 in which a plunger 33 is arranged to reciprocate. The plungers 33 are constantly urged outwardly by means of compression springs 34, and their outward movement is limited by means of suitable stop screws 35 threaded into the plungers.

Each plunger carries av-shaped yoke 36. The yokes engage and slide vertically along slide bars 3'! which are supported on supporting brackets 38 from two of the vertical derrick legs in.

The kelly it rotates about, and moves vertically along, a slidepipe 39 which is supported from a U-shaped elbow fitting 40 through the medium of a third flanged fitting H. The elbow fitting 40 is swingingly supported by an angle brace 52 extending to one or the derrick legs is and is connected with a rotatable standpipe 43 mounted in bearing collars 42 supported by the derrick. The standpipe is connected by means of a suitable swivel coupling 55 to fixedly mounted elbow terminating in a pump coupling 44 to which the suction intake of any suitable pump (not shown) is connected;

The kelly is sealed to the slide pipe 39 by means of a sealing collar 45 which is formed on, and extends upwardly from the swivel sleeve 2%). The sealing collar 45 contains suitable sealing packing 46, against which pressure is exerted by meansof a suitable packing gland 41 through the medium of a packing ring 48 and packing bolts 49. A bearing bushing 50 is fitted in the swivel sleeve 20 to relieve friction and wear on the latter.

Let us assume that the mechanism is in the position of Fig. 1; that the well is filled with water, as indicated at 5|; that the pump is operating; and that the table I3 is rotating. The drill bit is boring the well; the chips and other bit debris are being drawn upwardly through the drill pipe I5, and the kelly [6 into the slide pipe 39. From thence it flows through the elbow fitting 40 and the standpipe 43to'the pump. The discharge from the pump, after settling, is returned to the well. During the drilling operation the swivel sleeve 20 slowly descends, guided b the slide bars 31, until it reaches a position immediately above the table l3.

Now, in order to continue drilling, it is necessary to insert another section or length into the drill pipe 15. This is accomplished by removing the table bushings It and reeling in the cable 30 until the swivel mechanism reaches the broken-line position of Fig. 1, at which the time the flanged coupling 18 will be above the table I3. The usual drill pipe slips are now inserted in the table to grip the drill pipe [5 and support the latter, as iscustomary in rotary well drilling. The coupling i8 is now disconnected and the swivel is still further elevated until oneof the yokes 36 extends above its slide bar 31. 'It will be noted that one of the slide bars 3'! is longer and extends higher than the other so that one ofthe yokeswill release ahead of the other.

bearing collars 42.

The kelly is now pushed to the rear of the derrick, as shown in broken-line in Fig. 2, the elbow fitting 40 and the standpipe 43 rotating in the A length of drill pipe is now placed on and bolted to the flanged coupling 1 8, and the entire length of the drill pipe is lifted by means of a second cable 53 and a suitable pipe clamp 54 to allow the drill pipe slips to be removed. The drill pipe is then lowered to its original drilling position, which places the new flanged coupling in the position of the former flanged coupling IS;

The kelly i6 is now swung back to its original position. As it approaches the final position, one of the yokes'36 will engage the longer slide bar 31, swinging the other yoke into alignment with the shorter slide bar 31. The cable 30 is now slackened until both yokes engage their slide bars, and until the lower extremity of the kelly rests on, and is bolted to, the upper extremity of the'newly inserted length of drill pipe. The bushings [4 are now re-inserted, and drilling. is continued as before.

It is desired to call attention to the fact that the velocity of flow through the drill pipe is'not affected in any way by varying the diameter of the well, and that the usual bulky, inconvenient, and troublesome mud hose is entirely eliminated.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patentis:

1. Means for circulating mud in a well drilling rig employinga rotary drill pipe, comprising: a drill stem secured to the upper extremity of said drill pipe; a vertical standpipe fixedly secured in said rig adjacent said stem; an elbow fitting rotatably mounted on the upper extremity of said standpipe so that it may be swung in a fixed horizontal plane to a position over said drill stem; a slide pipe attached to and supported by said fitting and extending down- Wardly from said fittin into said stem, said stem being both vertically and circumferentially rotatable about said slide pipe; hoisting means attachedto said stem for raising and lowering the latter; and means mounted on said stem for imparting rotary movement thereto.

2. Means for circulating mud in a well drilling rig employing a rotary drill pipe, comprising: a drill stem secured to the upper extremity of said drill pipe; a vertical standpipe fixedly secured in said rig adjacent said stem; an elbow fitting rotatably mounted on the upper extremity of said standpipeso that it may be swung in a fixed horizontal plane to a position over said drill stem; a slide pipe attached to and supported by said fitting and extending downwardly from said fitting into said'stem, said stem being both vertically and circumferentially rotatable about said slide pipe; and means for swingingly supporting said elbow fitting about the axis of said'standpipe so that said slide pipe may be swung sidewardly about the axis of said standpipe and out of alignment with said stem when desired.

3. A rotary well drilling rig comprising: a derrick structure; a rotary table; a drill stem extending through, and rotated by, said table;

vertical guide members supported by said derrick structure on opposite sides of the axis of said table; a swivel sleeve at the upper extremity of said drill stein; a swivel ring surrounding and rotatably supporting said swivel sleeve; bracket arms extending oppositely outward from said swivel ring into slidable engagement with said vertical guide members; hoisting means connected with said swivel ring and supporting said drill stem at desired vertical positions through the medium of said ring; a vertical slide pipe extending downwardly through said sleeve into said drill stem, said sleeve being free to move vertically on said slide pipe; and means for fixedly supporting said slide pipe against vertical movement with said swivel sleeve.

4. A rotary well drilling rig comprising: a derrick structure; a rotary table; a drill stem extending through, and rotated by, said table; vertical guide members supported by said derrick structure on opposite sides of the axis of said table; a swivel sleeve at the upper extremity of said drill stem; a swivel ring surrounding and rotatably supporting said swivel sleeve; bracket arms extending oppositely outward from said swivel ring into slidable engagement with said vertical guide members; hoisting means connected with said swivel ring and supporting said drill stem at desired vertical positions through the medium of said ring; a vertical slide pipe extending downwardly through said sleeve into said drill stem, said sleeve being free to move vertically on said slide pipe; sealing means sealing said sleeve to said slide pipe; an elbow fitting communicating with the upper extremity of and acting as the support for said slide pipe; and a fixed vertical standpipe supporting and communicating with said elbow fitting, said slide pipe being movable in an are about the vertical axis of said standpipe, and immovable in a vertical direction.

5. A rotary well drilling rig comprising: a derrick structure; a rotary table; a drill stem extending through, and rotated by, said table; vertical guide members supported by said derrick structure on opposite sides of the axis of said table; a swivel sleeve at the upper, extremity of said drill stem; a swivel ring surrounding and rotatably supporting said swivel sleeve; bracket arms extending oppositely outward from said swivel ring into slidable engagement with said vertical guide members; hoisting means connected with said swivel ring and supporting said drill stem at desired vertical positions through the medium of said ring; a vertical slide pipe extending downwardly through said sleeve into said drill stem, said sleeve being free to move vertically on said slide pipe; sealing means sealing said sleeve to said slide pipe; an elbow fitting communicating with the upper extremity of and acting as the support for said slide pipe; and a fixed vertical standpipe supporting and communicating with said elbow fitting, said slide pipe being movable in an are about the vertical axis of said standpipe, and immovable in a vertical direction, said vertical guide members terminating below the upward limit of movement of said swivel ring so as to release said bracket arms from said guide members to allow said drill stem to be swung side- Wardly in consequence of the arcuate movement of said slide pipe when a predetermmed height is reached by said swivel ring.

6. A rotary well drilling rig comprising: a derrick structure; a rotary table; a drill stem extending through, and rotated by, said table; vertical guide members supported by said derrick structure on opposite sides of the axis of said table; a swivel sleeve at the upper extremity of said drill stem; a swivel ring surrounding and rotatably supporting said swivel sleeve; bracket arms extending oppositely outward from said swivel ring into slidable engagement with said vertical guide members; hoisting means connected with said swivel ring and supporting said drill stem at desired vertical positions through the medium of said ring; a yoke member at the outer extremity of each bracket arm; and spring means urging said yoke members outwardly into slidable engagement with said vertical guide members.

ODIE COLQUITT.

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